What will I study?
This course encourages students to develop an interest in and enjoyment of English Literature, through reading widely, critically and independently, across centuries, genre and gender. Students will experience an extensive range of views about texts and how to read them and will investigate the wider social and historical context of their production and reception. The course focuses on close textual analysis, the relationship between texts and the contexts within which they are written, received and understood, and how groups of texts fit into themes.
For examination, the set texts studied across the three papers will include two collections of poetry, two pieces of prose, one Shakespeare and one modern drama text. Students will also analyse and respond to one unseen poem, comparing it to a known poem. For the coursework element, students are required to produce a comparative critical study of two texts, at least one of which must have been written pre-1900, on a theme of your choice. This aspect of the course encourages autonomous personal reading, with teacher guidance on appropriate text choices and combinations, providing a challenging and wide-ranging opportunity for independent study.
Where will it lead?
The qualities of oral and written communication that are gained through the course, combined with the extensive skills acquired through self-reliant study, provide a firm basis for future employment. Those who study English go on to a variety of different careers, including: Broadcast and Print Journalism, Multimedia, Arts Administration, Advertising and Marketing, Primary and Secondary Teaching and Law.
Links with other courses:
Drama, Media, Film Studies and History.
